Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Qiu Guokai was heartbroken, but at this moment, he didn't dare to question the efficiency of the Taicang Sect. After all, all the elders in his family were sitting there, and he had a bruise on his forehead from his own father's cane.

As Unity Yi processed Qiu Guokai's membership card, he felt enlightened and said to Wei Xi, "Master, I used to believe that people would be reincarnated after they died. I never thought they could still live in their own homes."

Wei Xi wasn't too knowledgeable about this either, but Shuo Zong frowned. Unity Yi was right; it was indeed abnormal for several generations of the Qiu family to live together like this.

Qiu Guokai's father, with a cold expression, snorted, "Reincarnation isn't that simple. In recent years, the human population has exploded, and the aging problem is severe. Do you know how much the birth rate has dropped? You think the situation down here is great? Because of this, the policies have changed. In the past, those who committed many evil deeds would be reincarnated as livestock. Now, even if you can't obtain a clean criminal record, you'll be stuck. It's pure laziness!"

Qiu Guokai's mother, who was recording information alongside him, sighed, "Yes, a few acquaintances I know were lucky enough to be reincarnated as pets like cats and dogs. But some unlucky ones, after being stuck for over a decade, unwilling to be someone's pet, ended up as protected wildlife. They returned after a few months, saying that they were caught by locals soon after birth and sold to a big boss. Their siblings and they were all boiled as health supplements. I heard they suffered a lot before dying, with their scales completely removed. When they complained to the relevant department, they were ignored. The officials just brushed them off, saying that when the boss eventually comes down, he'll also be reincarnated as livestock."

"Down here, the lines are long, and accommodations aren't great, so in recent years, holidays are encouraged to motivate good souls to travel and alleviate population pressure. That's why All Saints' Day has become a legal holiday. There's not enough land, and our afterlife residences are allocated based on population. It's barely sufficient, so we often come back for vacations. As long as we don't break the law or disrupt life in the human world, no one will bother us. That's why we used to be quiet, only sneaking out to enjoy Guokai's offerings and watch TV when no one was home. If not for... Xuanxuan's incident, and his wife easily deceiving him, things wouldn't have escalated to this point."

At this, Qiu Guokai's mother couldn't help sighing and explained further, "As for when we'll be reincarnated, I guess we'll have to wait a while. Only Guokai's grandmother and grandfather, having joined the queue early around seven or eight years ago, have their spots secured. However, they refuse to go, passing their spots to those behind them."

Unity Yi was filled with confusion, feeling that the operations of the underworld didn't match his expectations. But upon reflection, he realized that it was due to the opening-up policy.

Still, he found it odd, "If reincarnation is so difficult to secure, why wouldn't people go once they've got a spot?"

In the room, an elderly man dressed in a Zhongshan suit looked rather displeased. The lady next to him, wearing a cheongsam, gently patted the head of another little old man beside her. "Isn't it because he's still worried about his little troublemaker? If he didn't make it in line, how could I and his father leave peacefully?"

Mrs. Qiu nodded upon hearing this. "Yes, his great-grandmother couldn't bear to part with his great-grandfather, who in turn was worried about his grandfather. His grandmother also fretted over me and his father making mistakes. I'll have to wait for Guokai to go down there before I can truly rest in peace."

Shuo Zong felt that, based on this situation, the family might not be able to move on for thousands of years. Unity Yi fell silent for a moment before suggesting to Qiu Guokai, "I think you should expand your house a bit more."

Qiu Guokai held his membership card but wasn't scared at all. Instead, he held his mother's hand affectionately. "Mom, come back home more often when you're free. I'll create a few rooms for you, and dismiss the nanny. I'll ask Master Wei if there's any way for you all to watch TV during the day. You don't know, after you and Dad left, I often dream about you. No one else in the world treats me as well as you do."

The mother and son hugged each other and cried again. Qiu Guokai's father was furious, his beard quivering. "Rascal! You dream about your mom, what about me?"

Qiu Guokai's other elders found the scene amusing, but the mother and son ignored them. Mrs. Qiu, while crying, pleaded with Wei Xi. "Master, putting aside the matter of coming out during the day, is there any way for me to touch a cooking spoon? This child is so thin; it's obvious he hasn't been eating properly since I passed away."

Unity Yi: "…"

*****

After leaving the Qiu family, Lin Hanyang left in a daze, needing to describe his bizarre experience to his wife.

Unity Yi noticed that his master seemed a bit unhappy, thinking he was hungry. He quickly took out the chocolate he had brought along and offered it to Wei Xi, only to see that the latter seemed to have lost his appetite, merely playing with the chocolate in his hand.

Even Shuo Zong found something amiss in this situation, suspecting that Wei Xi's frustration from repeatedly failing to satiate his desire for ghosts might have soured his mood. Worried that his anger might escalate to the point of disregarding all constraints and unleashing a massacre, he neglected the constant bank transfer notifications from Qiu Guokai's purchases of talismans, instead closely observing Wei Xi's every move with caution.

However, Wei Xi remained calm throughout, quietly returning home.

In the evening, Shuo Zong, unable to shake off his concern, noticed Wei Xi's movements outside and followed to investigate.

He saw Wei Xi sitting cross-legged on the doorstep, gazing peacefully at the sky.

The Wei family's courtyard had transformed; nurtured by spiritual soil, the plants he had cultivated grew swiftly. A row of trees, particularly the urtica, which bordered the yard, had reached the height of an ordinary person's waist, their foliage lush and abundant.

As the fifteenth day of the month approached, the moon grew fuller and brighter, hanging high in the sky like a dazzling orb. Thanks to the effective air management, it was particularly prominent against the backdrop of the night.

Staring at the moon, Wei Xi remained perfectly still. At first, Shuo Zong thought he was lost in thought, but his expression seemed to suggest simple reverie.

Noticing his movement, Wei Xi promptly turned around. Upon recognizing his disciple behind him, the wariness in his eyes swiftly dissipated.

"Lu Que," Shuo Zong heard his voice, laced with a hint of surreal doubt. "Did I perhaps treat your master too harshly? Why hasn't anyone from your master's family come to visit me, as Qiu Guokai's kin did?"

His fluffy hair danced gently in the night breeze.

Shuo Zong fell silent for a moment before reaching out to touch the armrest and sitting down quietly beside him.

******

When Mi Jiayang paid a visit, his heart was still filled with apprehension.

He had previously run into Wei Xi by chance in their neighborhood. At that time, he had intended to inquire more about Wei Xi's situation, but unfortunately, the other party had someone with him, so he could only leave his business card and depart temporarily.

However, after such a long time, Wei Xi hadn't initiated any contact with him. He had been anxiously awaiting the other's call, so he eventually contacted a few of his former dorm mates, asking them what they thought he should do.

Upon hearing that Wei Xi had returned to Beijing, his friends were also deeply concerned. After all, Wei Xi had genuinely gone missing for several months. They had all been roommates for four years during college, with Wei Xi being the youngest and thus the most pampered. Following the incident, they had been furious, voicing their support for him both offline and online. Unfortunately, their influence was limited, and despite their efforts, they couldn't reverse the situation. For months, they had blamed themselves and worried, yet they were unable to get in touch with Wei Xi. His phone number had been either switched off or out of service, and no updates had appeared on his social media accounts until now.

Mi Jiayang felt that this wasn't the behavior of someone who had moved on, and the other guys shared the same concern. After all, Wei Xi had always seemed like a rather introverted person prone to brooding.

Thus, after discussing among themselves, they decided that Mi Jiayang should take the lead and visit Wei Xi in person to assess his condition. If there were difficulties, they should face them together, not alone.

They knew a bit about Wei Xi's complicated family situation, and it was Mi Jiayang's first time visiting. As the security guard led him to the Wei family's door, his primary thought was whether he had gotten the wrong address.

Didn't Wei Xi's father have quite a successful business? Why did the house look like a tea house?

At this moment, the security guard who had led him in asked curiously, "Sir, are you also here for Taicang Sect's wellness program?"

Mi Jiayang found it surreal and could only ask the guy wiping the sign at the entrance, "Brother, does Wei Xi live here?"

The guy was handsome. Even though he was carrying an iron bucket, he didn't look like a teahouse employee but more like a rich playboy driving a luxury car. However, his attitude was terrible, with a gloomy gaze that seemed to indicate a foul mood.

Fortunately, a passing customer overheard their conversation and offered, "Looking for Little Xi? He's inside. I just saw him."

Mi Jiayang hurriedly thanked her and followed her into the house. As they walked, he couldn't help but glance back at the ill-tempered service staff, "Why is he like that?"

Can someone with such a bad temper be a server?

The lady guiding him turned back and chuckled at the person beside her, "How obedient is Chengshu, still helping the family wipe the sign on weekends?"

Mi Jiayang: "............"

His feet stumbled, almost causing him to fall. His gaze, when he looked back, was even more astonished.

Chengshu?? Wei Chengshu?? This was Wei Xi's beloved and favored younger brother by their father?!!

Mi Jiayang couldn't help but think about how his own neglected roommate was in comparison. He found it truly remarkable how the Wei family valued their sons...

But upon seeing Wei Xi, he pushed aside all those chaotic thoughts and immediately scolded, "What's going on with you? Huh? Why didn't you call me after giving me your card? Why didn't you tweet? Why weren't you on WeChat?"

Tuan Jiyi was startled and asked, "Master, is this guy here to cause trouble? Should we fight back?"

Wei Xi frowned, feeling just as confused. Before he could react, however, the newcomer's eyes reddened, and he began to choke back tears. "Do you know how worried Big Brother and Third Brother were because of what you did?"

Halfway through rolling up his sleeves, Wei Xi froze at the sound of the sniffles. It was a strange feeling, reminiscent of listening to Wei Dedao nagging.

Uncharacteristically, he refrained from resorting to violence like he would have with Wei Tianyi. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the person as the guy he'd encountered previously downstairs at Huang Jue's place, who seemed to be friends with the unlucky fellow.

Tuan Jiyi was taken aback by Wei Xi's composed demeanor as he lowered his sleeves. If Master's father had seen this scene, he would have jumped up in anger, pointing at his dark circles and shouting about unfairness. Mi Jiayang, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all. After all, Wei Xi used to be quite an introverted and quiet person, preferring to keep things to himself. He might not even say ten words in a day.

Nonetheless, he wasn't genuinely angry. After the initial scolding, concern took over his emotions. He circled around Wei Xi, observing that his friend looked well with no bruises. His heart eased slightly. "Has your father stopped beating you lately?"

Wei Xi regarded the seemingly talkative guy warily. "Why would he hit me?" The question was peculiar. It was already good that Wei Tianyi didn't get beaten.

"That's a relief," Mi Jiayang said, finally reassured. "How about the others? Your stepmother, your brother – have they been speaking to you in a snide manner again?"

Wei Xi pondered for a moment and replied, "No, they're all very well-behaved."

Mi Jiayang felt that something was off but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He decided not to dwell on it and asked, "That's good then. Have you thought about what you want to do with your career in the future? You can't keep living like this in despair. You know the situation at home, right?"

Wei Xi grew even more perplexed. "What situation is there at home? My career is doing great! Our sect is thriving every day."

Three big question marks appeared above Mi Jiayang's head. "… Sect?"

Wei Xi glanced at the tall man beside him, who promptly handed over a business card. "Sir, you must be an old friend of my master's, right? My apologies. Would you consider getting a membership card? In the future, when you spend at our sect or affiliated businesses, we'll give you the best discounts."

Mi Jiayang took the card blankly and saw the words "Geomancy" and "Performing rituals" on it. His eyes went dark. "What are you thinking? You've become a fraud?!"

Unity Yi spoke unhappily, "Sir, how can you doubt my master's abilities? Even I can see that there's a dark shadow under your eyes, indicating that you've been troubled lately. But fortunately, your pupils are focused, which means good fortune is just around the corner!"

I don't believe a word of it!

Mi Jiayang thought to himself that he had plenty of problems lately and was worried about Wei Xi's situation. Not to mention his work wasn't going anywhere. How could he possibly have any good fortune coming his way? He reached out to pull Wei Xi up. "Get up, I can't bear to see you like this. My agent got me an invitation to Qianqiu Film and Television's event tonight. They say the CEO will be there, and I'm supposed to try to get a role from him. Come with me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud exclamation. A plump figure dashed past Mi Jiayang, heading straight for Wei Xi, who was sitting on the sofa.

Midway through his charge, the man was intercepted by a handsome young man who had entered simultaneously. With immense strength, the youth grabbed the collar of the burly man, who was several times wider than him, and forcefully halted his motion.

"Master!" The hefty man was halted in his tracks, but his voice continued, filled with sorrow as if he was on the verge of collapsing right there and then. He sobbed out his grievance, "Heavens, when Uncle Shen first discovered it, I refused to believe it. But it turns out my son isn't even mine! I don't even want to attend the company's gala now! How could she do this to me? I don't want to give her a single penny!"

Mi Jiayang watched as the young man who had been carrying him discarded him with an indifferent expression. Then, with a sweeping glance at Mi Jiayang, he asked Wei Xi coldly, "Who is this person?"

At this moment, he had no time to dwell on Wei Xi's response. Instead, he was utterly stunned as he stared at the sobbing, overweight man, "CEO Qiu...? ! How could you be here? !"

Isn't this the very Chairman of Qianqiu Cinema Group whom he just mentioned earlier?!

Only then did Qiu Guokai notice the stranger in the room. His demeanor immediately regained composure. He wiped at the corner of his eye, extended his right hand, though his voice still held a hint of hoarseness: "Hello, you are...?"

Mi Jiayang promptly shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. I'm Mi Jiayang, an artist from Studio X. We met before when I was vying for a role in 'Screams.' You mentioned that the decision on my character would need further discussion with the company. I was actually planning to recommend myself again at your company's event tonight."

Qiu Guokai recalled their previous encounter. "Oh, it's you. How did you end up here?"

Promptly, Mi Jiayang seized the opportunity to advocate for Wei Xi. "Well, Mr. Qiu, Wei Xi is my good friend, and I believe he possesses exceptional individual capabilities. Would you consider...?"

However, before he could finish, Qiu Guokai interrupted: "You're friends with Master Wei?"

Mi Jiayang: "Huh?"

He turned to look at Wei Xi, wondering if the man was some kind of master?

Qiu Guokai then turned to Wei Xi, noticing that the latter didn't refute the claim. He immediately smiled and patted his shoulder. "Oh, why didn't you say so earlier? I almost gave that role to someone else. Alright, have your agent send us your updated profile tomorrow, then prepare to join the production team. We've already started filming. By the way, don't go spreading what you just heard outside, got it?"

Mi Jiayang: ".................."

He sat back on the sofa in a daze, watching as Qiu Guokai turned to discuss something about the detective agency with Wei Xi, none of their words reaching his ears.

Only two phrases remained in his mind: 'master' and 'good fortune'.

Damn.

He thought blankly, Wei Xi was impressive.

YiTongYi approached him and asked, "Sir, does your master really have a Weibo account? Does he have many followers? Is he verified?"

Mi Jiayang replied absentmindedly, "Yes, he's verified, and he has quite a few followers, around a hundred thousand." However, a portion of those followers had joined after the scandal, mainly there to mock the situation and engage in fights with Wei Xi's fans. They were pretty much useless.

United Righteousness was unaware of the backstory and immediately started pondering. Ten thousand fans were not a small number, especially since the account had a verified V badge. This would be an excellent platform for promotion! He had read on Zhihu that in this day and age, a powerful promotional channel was crucial for starting a business!

He promptly nagged Wei Xi for the Weibo account details.

Wei Xi didn't know anything about Weibo accounts and uniformly claimed he had forgotten. Fortunately, Mi Jiayang still remembered and logged in for him. Upon hearing that Wei Xi had lost his phone, he also changed the phone number associated with the account.

The moment the account was accessed, a barrage of notification sounds rang out, indicating thousands of messages. United Righteousness was delighted. It seemed the account had quite a following. However, upon opening it, he realized that apart from a few affectionate messages, most of them were mocking comments. After reading a couple, he understood the situation and turned to look at Wei Xi in shock.

Damn, Master has quite a history! His Weibo bio confirms he's an actor and even hints at him being gay!

He glanced at his handsome junior disciple's otherworldly face and couldn't help but wonder. Since returning from Qiu Guokai's place, Junior Disciple had become closer to Master. Occasionally, he would see them sitting alone in the courtyard. Why was that...

Ah! Stop thinking about it!

However, despite this, the account had around 160,000 followers. Although problematic, it would be a pity to abandon it. Buying so many fake followers wouldn't come cheap.

After some hesitation, United Righteousness decided to consult Wei Xi with his phone. As expected, Wei Xi had no idea about such matters, so he gave his approval. Thus, United Righteousness swiftly tapped away, changing the account's original description. After pondering what to post, he thought of the good-luck incantation that Junior Disciple had forced him to learn recently. He snapped a picture of it and uploaded it.

Alright, this will now be Taicang Sect's official Weibo account. Master won't mind, but I'll need to find a time to change the verification status...

As he pondered, many Weibo users who were scrolling through their feeds heard a notification ding. A new post had appeared.

Upon seeing the profile picture, they exclaimed, "Eh?! Isn't this Wei Xi, who's been missing for ages? How dare he show up after all that drama? What's he up to? Is he trying to clear his name? Could there be another earth-shattering gossip about to unfold?!"

Excited by the prospect, everyone eagerly tried to get in on the action. But upon closer inspection, they read:

Wei Xi V: "Image" The Taicang Sect Co., Ltd. is now open for business, specializing in demon-slaying and feng shui consultation. We are currently recruiting members, with various discounts available with our membership cards. Golden card members and above will also receive a welcome gift. Our sect accepts disciples year-round; interested parties may contact us privately for details. Note: Retweet this blessed charm, and your strongest recent wish may come true.

Both casual spectators and fans who had once dreamed of giving their idol kisses and hugs flooded the post with retweets: "???????"